Contentment is a state of happiness and satisfaction.  It is a place that everyone should strive to be, when in a relationship.  We should strive to be content with the person that we choose to be with in a committed relationship.  Relationships are not always easy.  It is not easy to blend two worlds into one, when we have different mindsets, different communication styles, different educational backgrounds, and different upbringings.  However, if you want to have a lasting relationship with the person that you chose, being content and satisfied is important to developing your relationship into a lasting one.  When you select your mate, based upon what you really want in a mate, it shouldn't be difficult for you to have contentment. 

When we leave room for error, yet can still be satisfied and content with our mate, the better we become at understanding and accepting that we are all imperfect people; trying to figure out how to co-exist harmoniously in the same space for a long period of time. 

If there is a major negative change in the characteristics of your mate that changes how you feel about him/her, then you will have to have a conversation with your mate about how to get back to the place of satisfaction and contentment.  If you cannot get to a place of satisfaction and contentment, then you have to have an honest conversation with yourself about what you really want and if the person that you chose is capable of and willing to give you what you are looking for.  You also have to know when to stay and when to leave.

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A lot of people think that relationships are supposed to be perfect, because of what they see on television, movies, and social media.  Don’t be fooled by the images that you see of couples who appear to always have it all together.  Trust me, they too, have either gone through some tough relationship challenges, are going through some tough relationship challenges, or will go through some tough relationship challenges in the future.  So, don't expect your relationship to be perfect.  No relationship is perfect, because it consists of two imperfect people.  Nothing and no one is ever perfect, so that is why we have to have a realistic expectation that at some point in the relationship, your relationship will be challenged.  Don’t strive to achieve what you think others have.  Strive to achieve what is best for you and your relationship. 
 

Don’t go into the relationship with unrealistic expectations.  At some point in your relationship, you will encounter some challenges.  And, that is a normal part of life and the evolution of the relationship.  It is how you overcome the challenges that you encounter in your relationship that determines your level of contentment, satisfaction, how committed you are to your partner, and how much you want your relationship to work.  Strive to be content and satisfied with the person that you choose, so that you are un-phased by any external force that will try to tear your relationship apart.  Relationships require hard work to make them last long-term.  If both of you are putting in the work to make the relationship last, you will be happy, satisfied and content.  Strive for contentment.

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-Lynnette Clement